Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - After meeting in executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining and the purchase or lease of property, the Wawasee Community School Board held its regular monthly meeting last night in the administration office.
Among early business was approval of minutes from meetings held Oct. 9, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. Two of these also were executive sessions, one to discuss strategy on collective bargaining and property, the other to train school board members. The training was conducted by Dr. John Hill, superintendent of schools at Plymouth.
Pursuant to Indiana Law 221, which mandates improvement in public education, Bruce Cavell spoke at the meeting as a member of the School Improvement Committee. He addressed issues concerning parental involvement and communication between school authorities and the public.
Superintendent Mark Stock responded to some of his inquiries by explaining that Wawasee Community Schools will probably be placed in the adequate category as it relates to 221. From that rating the schools will be expected to improve to a rating of good and eventually to excellent. He further explained that criteria for placement have changed and that nobody is yet clear as to the exact rating.
Stock said all Wawasee schools have been accepted in the North Central Accreditation program.
He also reported that in the past month, the administration has held training sessions with administrators, meetings with custodians and meetings on pool safety. He and his staff have been in communication with interested people concerning future use of North Webster School.
Tuesday Stock attended the Kosciusko County Education Summit about working with at-risk children, and next week he and Jim Evans will attend the tax hearing in Indianapolis.
Administrative assistant Joy Swartzentruber reported that results of the Terra Nova Language Arts testing have just arrived and are being put into a database. A full report will be given at the December meeting.
She attended a North Central training session last week and will be tested on the information next spring in Chicago.
She also has held curriculum mapping sessions with teachers to begin discussions on textbook adoption and to set rubrics for all grade levels in language arts.
Bob Lahrman reported that the new North Webster School is scheduled to open in early January, the original target date.
It was announced that the Knights of Columbus has donated $500 to the special education department at Milford School and that grant money has been received for Project 4Rs. Before the $36,000 can be spent, the board has to receive permission from the state.
In other business it was announced that a reimbursement check has been received from the insurance company for the water damage to the Wawasee Middle School gym floor.
The board accepted maternity leave for Dianna Allen, third-grade teacher at North Webster School, and the resignations of Jack Sausaman, Wawasee High School custodian; Tim Ramey, Wawasee Middle School custodian; Stephen Davis, Milford School custodian, and Shelly McKee, bus driver.
It accepted employment of Kenny Williamson as a custodian at WHS and Julie Gerber as custodian at Wawasee Middle School.
Its next public meeting will be Dec. 11.
